Record Cold April

The National Climatic Data Center released their climate statistics for the month of April this past week. Although Fargo Moorhead recorded the 5th coldest April on record, taken as a whole, April 2013 ranked as the coldest on record for the state of North Dakota. Minnesota was ranked as having the 3rd coldest April on record with South Dakota recording the 2nd coldest. When a region known for having a cold dominated climate breaks or come near to breaking a record for cold temperatures that adds emphasis to how cold this region was last month.

Statewide, North Dakota had an average temperature of 31.0 degrees last month, 0.1 degree colder than 1907 which now ranks as the second coldest April on record. In Minnesota, the average temperature was 33.9 degrees. The coldest April on record in Minnesota occurred in 1950 with an average temperature of 33.5 degrees. That was also a year when many of the area lakes where still ice covered well into May, just like this year.

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ABOUT

Like any meteorologist, John Wheeler is intrigued by extremes of weather, especially arctic air outbreaks and winter storms. John says he prefers his summers to be hot but in winter, he prefers the cold. John has been a meteorologist at WDAY since May 1985.